Towing device and hook-up



y 1943- H. 0. F055 2,318,150

TOWING DEVICE AND HOOKUP Filed July 10, 1941 Patented May 4, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a towing device and hook-up for towing two or more scows or similar marine vessels.

It is the common practice in towing various heavy bulk material over water routes to connect two or more barges, scows or the like. to a tug or other towing boat. The tug is usually connected by a relatively long tow line to the bow of the first scow, and a tow line for the second scow extends beneath the first scow and is connected to the tow line thereof by some suitable form of shackle. This shackle is connected into the tug tow line approximately at the point where such line divides to provide rearwardly diverging bridle lines connected to the corners of the forward scow.

If three or more scows are to be towed, the hook-up is repeated with all except the last scow, and various and unsatisfactory shackle means are employed to connect each tow line to its bridles and to the tow line for the succeeding scows. The use of a substantial number of shackles has been found not only to be wholly'unsatisfactory but also dangerous for several reasons.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved towing hook-up for two or more scows wherein the use of a substantial number of shackles is eliminated and far more certain and satisfactory results are provided through the use in the hook-up of a single connecting member for each scow except the last.

A further object is to provide such a hook-up wherein the linear towing force of each scow except the last is transmitted to the tow line therefor in a direct line through an improved hook-up plate.

A further object is to provide such a hook-up wherein the distribution of the towing force from a tow line to one scow and to the next succeeding scow is transmitted through a single unitary hook-up plate.

A further object is to provide a novel unitary hook-up or connecting plate formed of a single piece of material provided with openings arranged at such points as to facilitate the connection of the plate to the various lines associated therewith and to facilitate the transmission of forces between such lines. I

In the drawing 1 have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing- Figure 1 is a plan view showing a tug boat connected to tow a number of scows, showing the manner of utilizing the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the hook-up plate, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the bow portion of a scow showing the method of connecting it to the tow line through the hook-up plate and showing the method of connecting such plate to the tow line of the following scow.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 10 designates a tug boat followed by a plurality of scows H, I? and I3 which it is desired to connect to the tug to be towed thereby. While Figures 1 and 2 illustrate three scows, it will become apparent that the present invention is intended for the towing of two or more scows while the connecting plate to be described may be usedas a standard towing connection for the towing of a single scow. The tug boat is shown as being provided with a relatively long tow line I l which, in extending to the scow ll, sags beneath the surface [5 of the water, as is the usual case when employing long tow lines for towing heavy loads. The rear end of the tow line H!- is connected to the scow Ii through the medium of a connecting plate It and a pair of bridle lines I! (Figure 4). The plate 55 is made of relatively heavy sheet steel and in practice excellent results have been obtained by using sheet steel 1 inches thick in the making of a connecting plate approximately 16 inches long. These figures, of course, are purely examples of the type of sheet material which it is preferred to employ, although the invention is not limited in any sense to such material. The plate I6 is approximately pear shaped and is provided with four preferably punched openings l8, l9, 2|] and 2|, the opening l8 being arranged in the narrower forward end of the plate to receive the rear end of the tow line 14 (Figure 4). The openings 19 and 20 receive the forward ends of the bridle lines ll, the rear ends of these lines being connected as at 22 to the corners of the bow end of each scow. It will be apparent that the plate 16, connected to the rear end of the tug tow line H aiiords a single connecting element for transmitting a uniform pull from the tow line 14 to the bridle lines ll.

The opening 2! is arranged in longitudinal alignment with the opening l8 and is adapted to receive and to be fixedly connected to the forward end of a second tow line 23 extending toward the second scow l2. The tow line 23 is connected to the scow l2 in the same manner as the. tow line I4 is connected to the scow II, another of the plates l6 being employed in the same man ner as the plate previously described. Also in a similar manner, the tow line 23 is connected to a, third tow line 24 leading toward the scow l3 and likewise connected to said scow by one of the plates I6. Of course, the plate [6 for the scow l3 may eliminate the opening 2| since it is the last scow, but it obviously is preferred that all of the plates 16 be made identical with each other for simplicity and economy in manufacture. In connecting the line 24 to the last scow, the bridle lines for such scow will be connected in the open; ings l9 and 20 of the plate IS, the opening 2k merely remaining unused. Each of the tow lines. 23 and 24, as is true of the tow line l4, trails below the surface of the Water, and in each case swings beneath the scow adjacent its forward end.

The operation of the towing hook-up will be apparent from the foregoing description. Except for wind, drift etc., the tow lines I4, 23 and 24, will remain in a common vertical plane, thus transmitting as nearly directly as possible the towing force throughout the length of the tow. In other words, the line [4 transmits its pull directly to the scow l l except for the angularity of the bridles l1, and the forward plate It directly transmits the pull of the tow line I4 to the line 23, etc. In other words, the towing force is transmitted to each succeeding scow in exactly the same manner through the medium of a single unitary connecting plate, thus eliminating the use of unsatisfactory and dangerous shackles. In actual practice as many as three heavily laden scows have been towed entirely across the Pacific Ocean without difficulty and without mishaps of any kind. Any variations in the drag transmitted to either plate 16 through the opening 2|, to each following scow is, in turn, transmitted directly through the plate IE to the next forward tow line without any noticeable effect on the scow connected to the plate 56 in question. The use of the plate It, therefore simplifies the entire towing hook-up and eliminates the usual sources of difficulty and trouble, thus rendering the plate l6 and the hook-up described extremely eflicient and satisfactory in operation and permitting the satisfactory towing of more scows than ordinarily is possible. The invention also permits the towing of scows in waters in which towing of this nature usually is avoided and renders practicable the towing of a number of scows over long distances.

It will be noted that the openings l8 and 2| are arranged on the longitudinal center of each plate to transmit forces between the two tow lines associated with the plate without any tendency to twist the plate regardless of variations in the towing force or the load transmitted to the rear end of the plate. It also will be noted that the openings l9 and of each plate are arranged on a line perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the plate slightly forwardly of the opening 2|, and that the openings l9 and 20 are equidistantly spaced from the longitudinal center of the plate. The use of a single unitary connecting plate and the arrangement of the openings referred to provides the efficient distribution of forces referred to.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to as do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A towing hook-up for a plurality of tugtowed scows comprising a tow line adapted to extend from the tug to a point adjacent the bow of the first scow, a unitary connecting plate having its forward end connected to the rear end of said tow line, bridle lines connected at their forward ends to said plate adjacent the rear end thereof and on opposite sides of the lonigtudinal center thereof, said bridle lines diverging for connection at their rear ends with opposite corner portions of the bow of the first scow, and a tow line for the second scow having its forward end connected to said plate adjacent the rear end thereof and adapted to extend beneath the first scow.

2. A towing hook-up for a plurality of tugtowed scows comprising a tow line adapted to extend from the tug to a point adjacent the bow of the first scow, a unitary connecting plate having its forward end connected to the rear end of said tow line, bridle lines connected at their forward ends to said plate adjacent the rear end thereof and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, said bridle lines diverging for connection at their rear ends with opposite corner portions of the bow of the first scow, and a tow line for the second scow having its forward end connected to said plate adjacent the rear end thereof and adapted to extend beneath the first scow, said second tow line being connected to said plate along the longitudinal center line thereof and the point of connection of said bridles being equidistantly spaced from such center line of the plate and lying in a line perpendicular to said center line.

3. A towing hook-up for a plurality of tugtowed scows comprising a tow line adapted to extend from the tug to a point adjacent the bow of the first scow, a unitary connecting plate having its forward end connected to the rear end of said tow line, bridle lines connected at their forward ends to said plate adjacent the rear end thereof and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, said bridle lines diverging for connection at their rear ends with opposite corner portions of the bow of the first scow, and a tow line for the second scow having its forward end connected to said plate adjacent the rear end thereof and adapted to extend beneath the first scow, said second tow line being connected to said plate along the longitudinal center line thereof and the point of connection of said bridles being equidistantly spaced from such center line of the plate and lying in a line perpendicular to said center line, said perpendicular line lying forwardly of the point of connection of the second tow line with said plate.

4. A towing hook-up for a plurality of tugtowed scows comprising a tow line connected at its forward end to the tug, a plate arranged forwardly of the first scow and connected at its forward end to the rear end of said tow line, bridle lines connecting said plate adjacent its rear end and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof to the first scow adjacent opposite corner portions of the bow end thereof, a second plate arranged forwardly of the second o scow, bridle lines similarly connecting said secits forward end to the tug, a plate arranged forwardly of the first scow and connected at its forward end to the rear end of said tow line, bridle lines connecting said plate adjacent its rear end and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof to the first scow adjacent opposite corner portions of the bow end thereof, a second plate arranged forwardly of the second scow, bridle lines similarly connecting said second plate to the second scow, and a second tow line connected at its forward end to the rear end of the first plate along" the longitudinal center line thereof and connected at its rear end to the forward end of the second plate, the points of connection of the first named bridle lines lying in a line perpendicular to the longitudinal center of the first named plate and slightly forwardly of the point of connection of the second named tow line with said plate.

6. A towing hook-up for a plurality of tugtowed scows comprising a tow line adapted to ex tend rearwardly from a tug, a unitary connecting plate having its forward end connected to the rear end of said tow line, bridle lines connected at their forward ends to said plate adjacent the rear end and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, said bridle lines diverging rearwardly and extending upwardly at an angle from said plate for connection at their rear ends with opposite corner portions of the bow of the first scow on the top side thereof, and a tow line for the second scow extending beneath the first scow, said second tow line having its forward end connected to said plate adjacent the rear end and along the longitudinal center line thereof, each tow line being of such length that the vertical resultant forces incident to the weight of each tow line will cause it to swing downwardly in the water roughly in an arc of a circle to cushion variations in the longitudinal forces transmitted through said tow lines, the forward end of the second tow line extending at a normally relatively sharp angle to the plane of said plate and said plate being adapted to alter the position of its plane in accordance wih variations in the forces being transmitted through the respective tow lines.

HENRY O. FOSS. 

